


Tiny Tales

by Tuxedo_Elf



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Grayson (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Community: comment_fic, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-06 16:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3141602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuxedo_Elf/pseuds/Tuxedo_Elf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of shorter fics written for prompts from the Comment_Fic community. Characters and ratings will be updated as needed.<br/>Part 4 - Nothing worse than being trapped, except maybe being trapped with Damian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Anger at lies lasts forever. Anger at truth can't last. 

**********

He'd missed her. He'd so often thought of her, looked forward to seeing her again, spending time with her. It had kept him going on the loneliest nights. Yet dreams are one thing, reality is another. He was back and she was here, but things were not as he'd hoped. 

“You should have told me.” Her voice was deep with accusation. She was angry, that much was obvious. Not that he could blame her. 

“I know – I'm sorry. Bruce thought it was for the best, I couldn't disagree.” He couldn't quite meet her angry gaze. 

She paced the room in erratic steps, stopping occasionally to run a hand through her hair until it was a tangled red mess. “Why not? You've gone against him before! You know there was no reason to keep it from us!” 

He didn't have a good answer to that. She was right, really, it would have made little difference if a few people knew. 

“Luthor knew, Dick. LUTHOR. But we couldn't?” She shook her head. “It wasn't right. I... thought better of you than that.” 

He winced. That hurt. Then again, the truth often did. He sighed. “You're right. Sometimes I wish... I wish I had died. I think... it would have hurt less people that way.” At least then he wouldn't have put them through all this. Did anything hurt more than betrayal? 

“No.” She looked up, her eyes burning bright with anger and something else. “Don't say that. No one is angry at you for being alive. I'm not angry with you for being alive.”

“Aren't you?” It didn't feel that way to him. 

Her hand returned to her hair, fiddling almost anxiously with the strands. “Of course I'm not.” There was a long silence before she spoke again. “Not any more.”

“But you were,” he said quietly. Angry at him, just for being alive. 

Barbara nodded, feeling bad for admitting it. “I was... because it was so cruel, Dick. It hurt so much. If you'd really been dead, what we went through – it would have meant something.” 

What could he say to that? She was right and he hated it. He should have fought harder against Bruce, instead of just vanishing for over two years. 

“I never wanted to hurt you. I... I care for you, Barbara. So much.”

She moved to stand in front of him, placing her hand on his chest. “I care about you too, Dick. I'm glad you're alive, truly I am. I just... don't know that I can ever forgive you.” 

END


	2. Thief in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'dying declarations of love.'

Thief in the Night

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He knew well the sickening sound of bullets tearing through flesh. It had been seared into his memory at eight years old, impossible to forget. It was a sound that had changed his life, that had ripped away everything he held dear. 

Despite his best efforts, it was a sound he'd heard many times since. Sometimes it was a crime he hadn't stopped in time, a robbery or gang war. Other times it was friends or family. Today – he wished it was his flesh. Because it would have been better than the horror he was facing now. 

“Selina...” He picked her up, his fingers shaking uncharacteristically as he reached into his utility belt for medical supplies. “Hang on. I've got you, you'll be fine...” He pressed on the wound, ignoring the blood that seeped into his gloves. “We'll get you back to the cave... Alfred will have you sorted in no time.”

“Batman... Bruce... stop...” Her voice was raspy from the pain, though there was still strength in the hand that pressed over his. “I... I'm not stupid and you... are a terrible liar.” It wasn't true, of course. He was a practised and accomplished liar, he had to be. But right now, she didn't even need to see his eyes to know he was lying. 

“I didn't mean...” he paused, looking at her. Already so pale, her breathing shallow. The bullet had torn through her suit like paper, especially at point blank range. “I'm sorry...” 

“It's okay...” she forced a smile. “I've had a good run. Guess it had to end at some point... even nine lives don't last forever... who wants to get old anyway?” She coughed, trying to ignore how much it hurt and the feeling of warm blood in her throat.

His head dropped and with his free hand he pushed the cowl away, letting her see him and the pain he was in at her – their – situation. 

“Oh Bruce...” It was such a relief to see his face, his eyes. “I love you, you know that?” Her voice was barely a whisper now, but she knew he could hear her. “I think I always have.” 

His expression faltered at her words. “Selina... I'm sorry I couldn't...”

“I know.” She stopped him, gripping his hand as she struggled to draw another breath. “You couldn't... love a thief. A criminal. I understand.”

“No!” His expression darkened even more. “Selina, no, it was never that. Never.” His jaw tensed, years of repressing feelings and pushing people away making it hard to express himself. “Everyone I love... I lose. I thought if we... if I stayed away... you wouldn't leave.” He'd loved her anyway though. Keeping her at a distance hadn't changed anything, except causing them to miss out on what little time they could have had. “I love you. I'm sorry.” 

Her vision blurring, she reached out, touching his face. “Stupid man...” She should have known. “Kiss me.” 

Cradling her against her chest he kissed her gently, his mouth over hers, warm lips against cold. Even when the kiss ended he stayed with his lips against hers, listening to each breath as they grew increasingly shallow, until the last one left her body and she went limp in his arms. 

And then he was back where he'd started, alone in the dark with the memory of gunshots and the bloodied and broken body of one he loved. 

END


	3. Proving a Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steph has something to prove.

(Dickbats, set after the argument with Oracle in Batgirl 5, aka not Dick's finest moment.)

(Also the prompt theme was '5 sentence stories', so please excuse the slightly creative use of grammar!)

xxxxxxxxx

She knew Batman was there, watching, waiting for her to get in over her head as she fought the gang of goons who were clearly high on something or the other.

She didn't let it bother her, grabbing a gooperang and smirking as it covered the man from almost head to toe, before moving on to deflect the next attack.

He thought she hadn't seen the gun held by the last man, moving forward to intercept, certain she needed saving, that she couldn't handle this.

It possibly wasn't her best idea, but she waited until the last moment to disarm the thug, his gun clattering to the floor with his unconscious body a second before Batman could intervene.

“Sorry I didn't leave you any,” she grinned, standing amongst the unconscious men and feeling smug at the look of disbelief on Batman's face, “But this is one girl who doesn't need rescuing.”


	4. Rubble and Trouble

*******

Well, this had been a fantastic night. Really, she couldn't think of a better place to die than a derelict old factory. Not like she'd had plans of living to a ripe old age or anything. She winced as she narrowly avoided half a ton – at least – of rubble falling onto her then winced again when she heard the shouting behind her. 

“What?” She yelled, unable to hear over the noise of the collapsing building.

“I said, it's crashing down around our heads!” Robin repeated, his face twisted into a scowl. 

“No, really? I hadn't noticed!” She glared at him before continuing to fight her way though, dodging chunks of concrete and jagged steel and wooden beams. 

“This is your fault, you know. I said it was a trap, that it wasn't the right place. Congratulations Brown, you've got us both killed.” 

“Yes, I know! We're dumb. We're dead. Shut up about it now.” God. As if being in a death trap wasn't bad enough, she was trapped with the child from hell to boot. 

Robin growled at her. “You're dumb. I knew what would would happen.” 

“Really?” The rubble stilled finally and she pulled out a torch. “Why did you follow me in, then?” 

“Because if not for me you'd be dead already.”

Stephanie snorted. As if that wasn't the most unconvincing line she'd ever heard. “Well thanks. The extra half hour of slowly suffocating was really worth it.” 

“Ungrateful shrew.”

“Brat.” 

Batgirl sighed, trying to work out roughly how far into the building they were. Certainly they were buried enough that she couldn't get a comm-link. That was never good. “Okay, we're just going to have to go up and hope for the best.”

“An inspired plan.” 

Stephanie clenched her fists and wished she had the ability to just leave him here. “Do you have a better one?” She muttered, getting a feeling of smug satisfaction when he didn't reply. “Thought not.” 

“Just get a move on, Batgirl. I do not intend to die with you.” 

“It's mutual,” she hissed, beginning to work her way upwards through the destroyed building, careful not to disturb anything. They moved in silence, it being preferable to arguing. Finally, she saw the most beautiful sight – a patch of dark sky up ahead. “We're nearly though!” Maybe it wasn't such a terrible night after all. 

“I am aware of that, Brown. I have been staring at a full moon for the last forty five minutes.” 

She sighed. Never mind. “Oh, do shut up, Damian.” 

********


End file.
